Sewing machine



Se t; 11, 1928.

A. EPPLER SEWING MACHINE Filed Sept. 25. 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 "Z91 cJaw 9 2 5 m m h 4 oo L m m w rflwfimuu 1 a a! 6% o. 2% 2 a Pm P m m. AwdSe 1 1 F Sept. 11, 1928.

Sept. 11, 192& 1,683,659

A. EPPLER SEWING uAdaIuE Filed 561213.25. 1920 a Sheets-Sheet 5 PatentedSept. 11', 1928.

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SEWIITG M'AGYEEINE.

woman med s tembier 25,1920. Serial no. 2,705. 7

In the anniajcture of e ted'heot and shoes, it is customary to, beat outthe welt after the welt has been secured tothe upper and insole in orderto cause it to lie flat in a substantially the plane of the insole Asthe sidewisedeflection of the welt in applying it to the toe portion ofa shoe, particnlanly pointed toeshee; causes-th w lt t turn or curl upatlthe toe, this portion of the welt is to usually provided with" aseries pf cuts or slashes i n its nnder sn i'ifaec to'enable the enteredget-hereof to stretch sufficiently during the beating out Operation,to bring it into the plane of the insole. To accomplish such sslalshing'of the welt at the toe p oglt-ion, it has been proposed toapply a welt slashing meehanisin to the welt beating, machine.Considerable diailicu-lty, however, {has beenegcperience'd in properlyslashing the welt at this time, this difficulty being due mainly to thedescribed turn ed up condition i the toe portion of the welt afterit isapplied totheshoo.

Accordingly, it has been proposed to apply a manually controlled Weltslashing mechanism an to the welt sewing machine in suchia manner thatthewelt may be slashed in advance of the stitch forming devices, theslashing of the Welt at this time being advantageous in that theslashing knife operates on the Welt While an the welt is heldsubstantially flat and the slashes enablethewelt to be more easily laidabout the toe of the shoe during ,the sewing operation. Such weltslashingmechanisms heretofore applied to welt sewing. machines,

however, havebeen dependent upon the operation of the welt guideof themachine or else the welt slashing knifeof such mechanisms has beenmounted inthe welt guide, In welt shoe sewing machines in general useatthe 0 present time the movement of the ,welt guide is variable inextent and the welt guide is usually brought againstthe shoe by arelatively light spring so that a welt slashing Y mechanism cannot beassociated with he 4:? present Welt gu'idecin the -man-ner abovedescribed, without interfering materially with V the operation of thewelt guide. Also-,the

'i'ositioni-ngof a weltslash'ingmechanism adjacent the sewing,point'would obviously in m terfere with the proper manipulation of theto a weltshoesewing machine that overcomes shoe, which is the hedisadvantages of the prior constructions.

To this end, a feature of the present invention contemplates theprovision in a welt shoe sewing machine of ineans'u-nder the control 1of the operator for operating on atwelt'at a 6U distance in advanceofthe welt guide to faoili hate the beating-out oi' the welt.- Whil'e nusfeature of the present invention in its new ferred form contemplates theuse of a welt slashing mechanism, it is to be understood 6" that, eKQQPtas defined in the ,claim flihisifeature as well as certain otherfeatures of the invention is not limited to a Welt, slashing mechanismas, obviously, it may include other mechanisms for operatillfion a weltin advance ,of the stitch iornii ng devices to assist in the beatin 1:out operation. Preferably,

the distance that the mechanism is Slanted from the stitch formingolevicefsicorresponds substantially to the distance from the point N ona shoe where the inseam stitches start usiL ally the heel breast line tothe toe portion of the slioe, so that when the shoe isinitialilyPresented t h ma h tsftee port on w ll extend past the operatinginst-ruinenta liities B0 of the mechanism. gage isthujsqproyiqledthrough which the shoe ,a's is feel to the sewing mechanism indicates tothe opera-tor when the slashing mechanismshonlel be thrown into,operation in order that the part operated on may register with the toeof the shoe. ='1hefl.operator may therefore readily startand endtheopera-tion of the mechanism to operate only on the portion of thewelt that will register with and be laid 'about the too portionoftheshoe. Also, with suchpo sitioning'oi the mechanism it may be throwninto Operation substantial-1y ,at or shortly after, the start of thesewing operation, and be thrown out ,of operation before the'toe e5portion of the shoe is .reachem so that the-ad.-

tional burden throwing- ,the mechanism into or out of operationisnotplaced npqnthe operator while sewing about "the ,toe of the mostdiiiicult ,na'rtof the we shoefeo sew. V "While in thepresent embodimentof the invention the means {in throwing the nechanism into and out .ofloperationgis oper'ahle independently of the n eans for throwing the 10hsewing machine intoand ont ofoperation, it will be appa e t a th meanism may :be thrown into operation through suitable con; n t n t m anitor ithrowing theis w- 11g ach ne int op ration nd may be thrown out ofoperation either by the operator or automatically after a predeterminedperiod of operation. Accordingly, tlieabove described feature of theinvention, in its broader aspects, is not limited to a construction inwhich the means for controlling the operation of the mechanism is op-.erated in the specific manner of that of the present embodiment of theinvention, as it may include a construction in which the mechanism isthrown-into operation upon the operator throwing the sewing machine intooperation. r a

Other features of the present invention consistin certain constructions,arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described andclaimed, the advantages of which will be obvious to those skilled in theart. 1 i The'several' features of the invention will be clearlyunderstood from the following description and accompanying drawings, inwhich: I

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of the head of a welt shoesewing machine embodying the features in their preferred form; Fig. 2 isa detailed side elevation of the welt slashing mechanismof the machine;Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the lower portion of the weltslashing mechanism which is shown as operating upon a welt; Fig. 4 is avertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 isa'detailed side elevation of the slashing knife and its actuatingmechanism. v 1

The welt shoe sewing machine, illustrated in the drawingsis providedwith a curved hook needle 2, a looper 4, a thread arm6, a channel guide8, a welt guide 10, and a welt guiding and measuring device comprising aguide roll 12. The channel guide 8 is actuated'through connection with alever 14 having a cam roll on its upper end that engages a can116carried by the'cam shaft of the moehine, andthe welt guidingfandmeasuring devicefis mountedon a standard 18 forming a part of the frameof the machine. The parts above described and their associatedmechanisms may be and preferably are the same as the corresponding partsof the machine illustrated and described in applicants Patent No.1,108,560, dated August 25, 1914,

y to which refereneef may be hadfor a full and ,cOniplete description ofthese and other parts of'the machine.

The welt slashing mechanism illustratedin the drawing is arrangedadjacent the, guide roll 12 and between the guide roll and the weltguide 10. This mechanism is provided with a continually reciprocatingwelt slashing knife 22 that comprises a straight blade formed on theinnerend of a cylindrical bar 26. The knife bar 26 extends through andis guided'by a boss 28 projectingfrom a bracket 30 secured on a fixedstud 32 projecting from the machine frame, the bracket being providedwith a split collar which is clamped by a bolt 34 to the stud 32. Theslashing knife is reciprocated by a carrier 36, the knife bar 26extending through bosses, 38iwhich are formed on the carrier andarranged at opposite ends of the boss 28, and the knife bar beingsecured to the carrier by a set screw 40threaded throughan aperture inthe outer boss 38. The carrier 36 is mounted to slide on a rod 42 thatextends through and is se cured by a set screw 44 to a boss 46 formed onthe bracket 30,- the carrier being provided withbosses 48 that are insliding engagement with theends of the rod 42. The carrier 36 iscontinually reciprocated to actuate the slashing knife by the camactuated lever 14 that also actuates the channel guide. The connectionbetween the carrier 36 and the lever 14 comprises a bell crank 50fulcrun'ied on the upper end of the bracket 30. The free end of thelower arm of the bell crank 50'engages a notch 52 formedin the top ofthe carrier 36, and the other arm of the hell crank is connected by aball and socket joint with the lower end of a link 54. The upper end ofthe link 54 is connected by a ball and socket joint with the actuatinglever 14. y

The illustrated mechanism is provided with a welt guiding device 56 forpresenting the welt to the action of the reciprocating knife. This weltguiding device comprises a vertical bar 58 which is mounted on abracket6O secured to the standard 18. The upper end of the bar isprovided with an overhanging head 62, the under surface of which extendsat right angles to the inner face of the bar. The welt is guided betweenthe head 62 and a block 64 secured to the bar which engage oppositesides of the welt. To compensate for different thicknesses of welt tlieblock 64 is vertically adjustahly secured to the bar by means of bolts66 that extend through slots in the block 64 and "are screw threadedinto apertures in the bar. The outer edge of the welt is guided bythcinner face of the bar 58 and the inner or grooved edge of the weltis'guided by an edge gage 68. This edge gage comprises a plate which isheld in position by a screw 70 extending through a slot in a downwardlyextending portion 72 of the plate, the screw being provided with collars74 arranged at opposite sides of the plate. It will be apparent that byturning the screw 7 0 the edge gage 68 may be adjusted to compensate forwelts of different widths. I

The head 62 of the bar 58 is cut away at 76 to permit the knife to acton the welt, the knife being arranged at an angle to the plane ofthewelt and inclined rearwardly from the welt. A cutting block 78 againstwhich; the knife acts is mounted ina socket in the upper end of the bar58. 7 It will be apparent that the actuation of the knife across thewelt towand its outer edgehand against the cutting insures cleanand?l:llllfliil1 slashes bemg made, as there isno tendency for the welt tobuckle or cramp as might bethe camif the knife in the oppositedinection,as has heretofore been customary in welt slashing mechanisms. It willalso heapparent that by adjusting the knife circumferentially that. thedepth angle of the slashes may be varied as desired. 1 v

' I It is desirablethatthe slashes in tliewel shall be made in theportion thereof whichis laid about the toe of theshoe, while beingomitted in the remaining portion of the welte Accordingly, theweltguiding device 56 is adapted to be movedvertically by the operatorto deflect the welt into and out of the path of the reciprocatingslashingknife; To this end the bar 58 is mounted to slide vertically onthe bracket 60, the bar and bracketbeingconnected' bya dovetailconnection 80. The bar 58 is moved upwardly on the bracket 60 to deflectthe welt "into the path of the knife by means of a' treadle 82 located"at the front ofthe machine in position to be conveniently operated bythe knee of the op-l erator. The bar 58 is. connected with the treadle82 by a rod 84 having one end pivotally connected with the lower end ofthe bar and its other end pivotally connected with an arm86of a "bellcrank pivoted at 90 on theframe of the" machine, the treadle 82 beingmountedon the lower end of the arm 88m thev bell crank: l This-upwardmovement of the welt' guiding device is limited bya stop screw 92 screwth eadedthrough an aperture in the arni 86 ofthebell crank en gaging themachine frame. It will be ap'-' parent that by adjusting the screw92that it the depth of the slashes made in the'welt may be varied asdesired. When the treadle 82 is released, as sliownby dotted. lines inFig.2, thewelt guiding device 56 is moved downwardly to'deflect the Weltbeneath the, path of the slashing knife'by a spring 19 i coiled. aboutthe rod 84 and interposed be tween the arm 86 of the bell crank and, the

maehinefrainathisrmovementof the welt guiding device being limited by astop collar 96 'adjustably secured to the rod, engaging the machine frtme; 1

In order that the-operatormay readily determine the proper points on thewelttostart andend the slashingfioperation toslash only theportionof'the welt that will be laid about the toeportion offthefshoe',the welt slashing mechanism is spaceda 'slightly less'distance from thesewing needle thanthe distance from the point on a smallsizeshoeat whichthe in-f seam stitches start to-thetoe portion of the shoe so that whenthe shoeis initially pre-l sented to the stitch forming d iportionwilleiitend past the knife: With this arrangement, when theshoehas been; fed by the inachineduring tlie sewing operation to a apotionso that the inner end of its toe portion is opposite the slashingmechanism, the position of the shoe with relation to this mech anismindicates to thezoperator that the part of the welt which will registerwith the toeof the shoe is about to pass through the slashing mechanismand that. by depressing the treadle 82 he may start the slashingoperation on this portion of the welt. The trcadle may be released bythe operatorafter the required num ber of slashes in the welt hasbeenmade. a

It will be apparent that such spacing of'the welt slashing mechanism afrom the stitch I forming. devices also obviates any danger of themechanism interfering with the proper manipulation of the; shoe duringthe sewing operation; V

While the features described above are well adapted for use in a welt,shoe sewing ma chine, itis to beunderstood that, exceptas de- 35 finedin the claims, certain features of the invention are not limited to usein a machine of this type asthey are also adapted for use in othermachines for operating upon welt-s. The nature and scope of the presentinvention having been indicated anda machine embodying theseveral'features of the invention in their preferred formhaving beenspecifi callydescribed, what is claimed as new is 1. A welt shoe sewingmachine having,in

combination, stitch forming devices,ta welt guide, and meansfin advanceof the welt guide for slashing a welt comprising a IGClPI'OCittlIlQ weltslashing knife and means operating 1 independently of the welt guide-formoving 0 2. A welt shoe sewing machine having, in

combination, stitch'rforming devices, a welt guide and means forslaslnnga Welt in advance of thestitchforming devices comprising a reciprocatingwelt slashing knife, and means operatingindependently of thewelt guidemovable in a planetransverselyof the knife ior'moving the weltinto andout of the path of the knife to cause a portion of the welt to beslashed andthe remaining portion ofthe welt to" remain unslashedoperation. a Z a 3; Awelt shoe sewing machine having, in combination,stitch forming devices including aneedle, and means for slashing thewelt in advance of the stitch forming-devices and spaced at a distancefrom theneedle corresponding substantiallytothe distance from,

,thepoint on a shoe where the inseam stitches;

start to the toe portionofthe shoe.

"4. A machine for operating upon a welt' having, in combination, stitchformingmechanism, a main welt guide to guide the welt at the sewingpoint, a reciprocating welt 1 slashin'gf knife, a second welt: guide fornormally guiding the welt'beneath theslashing knife,

during the sewing 11s.

. andmeans for raising said second welt'guide to bring the welt into thepath of the slashing knife. i 1 I 5. A welt shoe sewing machine having,in

combination, stitch forming devices, a welt guide, aroll for guiding theWelt in advance of the welt guide, a reciprocating welt slashing knifeinterposed between the welt guide and the guideroll, and means fordeflecting the welt into and. out of the path of the slashing knife.

-6. +A machine for operating upon a welt having, in combination, a pairof spaced welt guiding devices, a reciprocating welt slashing knifeinterposed between said devices, andmeans. forl deflecting the welt intoand out of the path of the slashing knife.

7. A welt shoe sewing machine having, in combination, stitch formingdevices, a channel guide, means comprising a cam actuated lever foroperating the channel guide, means comprising a welt slashing knife forslashing the welt in advance of the stitch forming devices, andconnections between the cam actuated lever and the slashing knife foractuating the knife.

8. A machine for operating upon a "welt having, in combination, meansfor guiding a welt, and means comprising a knife acting to eutacross thewelt toward and throughits outer edge for making slashes in the welt.

9. machine for operating upon a welt having, in combination, means forguiding a welt, and'means-comprising a knife acting to cut across thewelt toward and through its outer edgefor making slashes in the welt,and a cutting block to cooperate with the knife edge. c

10. A machine-for operating upon a Welt having, in combination, meansfor guiding a welt, and means comprising a knife-acting to cut acrossthe welt toward and through its outer edge for making. slashes in thewelt,

, andmeans for relatively moving-the welt having, in combination meansfor guidingfltheweltacrossthe cutting,

- anditheslashing knife into'and out of effective operative; position.11. A machine for operating upon a welt combination, stitch formingdevices, a welt guide at the sew ngpomt, and nmcans for' slashing a weltin advance of the welt-guide a cutting block,

and out of the path'of o knife to aeton the welt as it comprising a weltslashin knife acting to slash the welt independenfiy of any action ofthe welt-guide on the welt, and means for actuating the knife and forrelatively moving the welt and knife transversely of the plane of thewelt into and out of effective operative position. a

14. A machine for operating upon a welt having, in combination, stitchforming inecha guiding devices, a welt slashing knife inter posedbetween said devices, and means for actuating the knife and fordeflecting the welt into and out of thelpath of the knife.

- 16. A machine for operating upon welt having, in combination, a weltsupport, a welt slashing knife, and means for relatively moving the weltand knife to cause the knife to out across the welt towards and throughits outer, edge. v

17, A weltshoe sewing machine having, in combination, stitch formingdevices, a welt guide locatedadjacent the stitch forming devices, andwelt slashing means under the control of the operator located ata'distance in advance of the welt guide to permit said means to operateindependently of any action of the welt guide on the welt.

18. A welt shoe sewing machine having, in combination, stitch formingdevices, a welt guide at the sewingpoint, and means under the control ofthe operator operating to slash a portion of the welt unsupported by thewelt guide; 4 i

19. A welt sewing machine having, in combination, stitch formingdevices, a welt guide 1 at the sewing point, and welt treating meanstofacilitate a subsequent welt beating operation, said means being underthe control of,

the operator and located at a distance in advance of the welt guide topermit said means to operate independentlyof any action of the weltguide on the welt. t w

20. A welt shoe sewing machine having, in combination, stitch formingdevices, a welt guide adjacent the stitch forming devices, andmeansunder the control of. the operator for slashing the weltcomprisingv an auxiliary guide for the welt located at a distance inadvance of'said welt guide, and awelt slashing said auxiliary guide,

passes through combination, stitchforming devices, a welt guide adjacentto the stitchforming devices,

and means under the control of the operator for operating onthe weltduring the sewing to facilitate a subsequent welt beating operation,said means being located at a distance in advance of the welt guide topermit said means to operate independently of any action I of the weltguide on the welt and without interferring with the manipulation of theshoe by the operator. a

22. A welt shoe sewing machine having, in combination, stitch formingdevices, and

means capable of being thrown into and out of operation during theoperation of the machine for performing an operationon the portion ofthe welt thatis to be laid about the toe of the shoe to facilitate asubsequent welt beating operationwhile another portion of I the welt ofa length equal to the length of the portion operated upon and spacedthere-V from is being sewed.

23. A welt shoe sewing machine having, in

combination, stitch forming devices, and means under the control of theoperator for making a plurality of slashes in the portion ANDREW EPPLER.

